Tempe Auctions: How To Prevent And Identify Bidder Theft
The abnormal behavior of bidder theft can ruin a good auction if it is left unchecked
. This article is designed to give you information on how you can identify and prevent bidder theft from affecting your Tempe auctions. Specifics may vary from auction to auction; however, the following information includes helpful and important guidelines from which everyone can benefit.
Before you can play any game, you must first agree to play by the rules. But what if the rules are unfair and destructive? You then have three choices, don't play the game, play the game by the old rules, or work to get the rules changed. The Tempe auction game has many rules, both written and unwritten, and many of these rules are illogical and archaic. But there is one unwritten auction rule that desperately needs to be rewritten. "Stealing merchandise or having merchandise stolen is an integral part of the auction purchasing experience".
Someone I know in the auction industry refers to auction bidders as "thieving heathens". His personal belief, based on long observation, is that anything that is not nailed down at an auction, large or small, cheap or expensive will eventually be stolen. He has never ceased to be amazed that people who would be deeply offended if you accused them of stealing your wallet or car, will steal at an auction and consider it a honest day's work. In the world of auctions, this sort of abnormal behavior is considered normal. And because stealing is considered normal, the auctioneer often has to take steps to prevent this behavior.
Tempe Auctions: Protecting Consignor's Merchandise Before It Gets On the Auction Block
When a consignor signs over their merchandise to an auctioneer, the auctioneer takes responsibility for that merchandise. It is the Tempe auction company's job to protect the consignor's merchandise, both to maintain the consignor's profits and increase the auctioneer's commission. The consignor's merchandise must be protected both from outright theft and from any bidder activity that would dramatically reduce the value of the items being sold.
Auctioneers must weigh the need to protect items from being stolen against the need to bring the greatest amount for each item. A stolen item brings zero dollars but too much security can dramatically reduce the overall average bid. Bidders want to touch the items they are going to buy, so it is often worth taking some risks of theft to bring the largest amount for the total balance of the merchandise. But there are things you can do to control the risk of theft.
Keep high-theft items in a secure area where they can be seen, and if there is the available auction staff, handled. Depending on the number of items and value of items, Tempe auction staff can hand them out one or several at a time and let the bidders preview them. Sealing lots, singly or in multiples, in heavy plastic bags and having the auction staff carefully watch the customer as they handle the items, can significantly cut down on the possibility of theft.
Another form of bidder theft is much less obvious. If a bidder can dramatically reduce the price they pay for an item, they are taking the money directly out of the consignor's pocket. One way to accomplish this is to modify the item in a way that will lower its value to everyone but the bidder who committed the sabotage.
For example a bidder can steal critical parts, knowing they alone can later make the item functional. This reduces the item's value to everyone but a single bidder. The solution is to make it impossible to steal the critical parts by increasing the security of the entire item or by making it impossible to remove the critical parts. My company encountered this problem with people stealing the removable faceplates from high-end car stereos. We fixed this problem both by putting the expensive car stereos in with our high-security items and taping the faceplates on with strapping tape.
In other cases the knowledgeable bidder can modify the item in a subtle way so it brings less money. For example, they can remove identifying tags for items where most people will not recognize their true value. Computer experts can delete critical operating system files so a computer cannot be demonstrated. All you can do is try to anticipate what actions will dramatically reduce an item's value and try to prevent them. However, humans are eternally inventive, so often you can only prevent it from happening a second time.
One policy my company has instituted has helped reduce sabotage activities. During a Tempe auction we refuse to sell any lot if the item has been tampered with. We either throw the tampered item away after the auction, if its value is now practically zero, or sell the item unannounced in later auction, when the bidder may not be attendance or may not be able to positively identify the item they tampered with. This reduces the likelihood that the bidder who tampers with an item will profit from their actions, so they are less likely to try again.
Auctioneers generally do a passable job of protecting consignors merchandise because they have a financial incentive to do so. Protecting the bidder's newly-purchased property is a different story.
Tempe Auctions: Protecting Bidder's Purchases After They Are On the Auction Block
Due to a quirk in the laws regulating auctions, the ownership of an auction lot changes hands when the item is sold on the auction block, not when the money changes hands. This means an item stolen after it is "sold" is a theft from the winning bidder, not the auctioneer or the consignor. Many Tempe auction companies use this legal point to wash their hands of any responsibility to try to prevent the theft of items after they have been sold. In fact, some auctions companies take great glee in providing absolutely zero security for any items that have passed into the bidder's ownership.
While this may be legally correct, it is economically stupid. Many businesses provide security for their customers not because they are legally required to do so but because it is good business. Would you shop at a mall where cars were constantly being vandalized or broken into? Or eat at a restaurant that was a haven for pickpockets? These businesses are not legally responsible if your car or wallet is stolen, but they want happy, repeat customers. At this point auctioneers will often explain that auction customers are a different breed that are used to things being stolen and wouldn't be upset enough to stop coming to auctions. But why should auction buyers have to tolerate the theft of their property as a condition of attending Tempe auctions?
I personally believe auctioneers should provide their customers the same sorts of security that any other business would provide to its customers. They should provide basic security at all auctions to help prevent items from being stolen. Much of this security starts with how an auction is set up. Limit the number of exits from the auction. Make certain that there are no unsecured doors or windows that will allow people to hand items out to confederates. Assign an auction employee to each entrance to keep an eye on people going in and out. Carefully check invoices against items being carried out. Keep the high-value items in your high-security area both before and after they are sold and require people to present a receipt to retrieve purchased items.
(I will admit there is a danger in attempting to provide security for bidder's purchased merchandise. Bidders who have not yet paid for their stolen merchandise will try to get out of paying by blaming the level of security provided by the auction company. This is why I believe the auctioneer needs to make it clear in both written and verbal announcements that the auctioneer is not responsible for items being stolen and is only assisting the bidder in securing their items.)
Tempe Auctions: Reduce the climate of theft
By increasing the level of security we begin to change the perception of theft as a natural part of the auction process. We bring the Golden Rule into play by treating other's property as we would want our own property treated. By your actions make it very clear that theft of any sort is not tolerated. Not only theft by auction bidders, but auction employees and the auction company itself. This is really a case where the auctioneer needs to lead by example.
I recently conducted an auction where we did not have sufficient staff to secure the merchandise to the degree we normally require. Rather than cancel the auction we assembled the bidders and explained that if we were going to go ahead and conduct the auction, they would have to be on the honor system regarding the theft of auction merchandise. Lo and behold, not one item of merchandise was stolen. Were our usual bidders suddenly transformed into saints? Did we attract a large crowd of exclusively "first auction" bidders? No, we changed the rules of the Tempe auction game and everyone was happy to play by the new rules.
by: Deb Weidenhamer
Scottsdale Vehicle Auctions: Buying & Selling Purchasing A Repossessed Home At Auction Words Of Advice For Ebay Collectors Police Auctions - Purchase A Reliable Vehicle For Under $500 What Is An Az Police Auction? Ebay Basics And How It Can Work For You Rent Tickets Orlando - Rent's Two Leading Gents Get Auctioned Off How To Achieve The Best Deals Online The Fastest And Cost-free Bidding Guidelines For You Online Auctions And Bid For Less Visit A Used Car Auction And Let The Car Of Your Dreams Become True Used Car Online Auction Don't Call That Fedex Phone Number! Fedex's Bizarre New Shipping Policy